Gabon is home to most of Africa’s gorillas

Gabon is home to roughly 80% of Africa's gorilla population. Gabon's park forests are home to over 30,000 western lowland gorillas, the most in equatorial Africa. Gorillas can be found throughout Gabon's rainforest, but Loango National Park is home to the only habituated troop, which means they tolerate human presence without changing their behavior.

When spending time with gorillas, safety is a top priority, so there are a few practicalities to consider when planning your visit. As with any wildlife experience anywhere in the world, seeing the gorilla is not guaranteed because they travel long distances and their movements are unpredictable. You may need to walk for up to three hours through dense rainforest to find the gorilla, possibly even through swampy areas they prefer, so you must be physically fit and preferably have experience walking in hot, humid rainforest environments. Of course, you'll have to walk three hours back!